


Beginning A Rivalry

by K (Thiswasmydesign)



Series: Another path [3]
Category: Death Note & Related Fandoms, Death Note (Anime & Manga), Disney - All Media Types
Genre: #IFDShare, Another Path series, Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, Childhood Rivalry, Drabble, International Fanworks Day 2018, Just a bit of fun, M/M, Mello has issues, No Romance, Prequel, Short One Shot, The Fox and the Hound - Freeform, it does fit with the series though, unnecessary addition to series, wammy's house
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-13
Updated: 2018-02-13
Packaged: 2019-03-17 13:31:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13660005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thiswasmydesign/pseuds/K
Summary: For International Fanworks Day 2018; challenge; What does your favourite character—or your favourite pairing—get fannish over?Mello and Near are fated to compete against each other for the title of L, but they were once friends before competition pushed them apart. Now, the only way they can communicate without fighting is through the medium of children’s films.A short drabble; can be read alone or as a complement to the series Another Path.





	Beginning A Rivalry

**Author's Note:**

> Near / Mello is not my favourite pairing, as I'm sure you know. However, I wanted to do something for the International Fanworks Day 2018 challenge, and this fit oh so neatly between the Arsonist and the DD murders (albeit as prequel) that I couldn't resist choosing this particular drabble. I couldn't think of anything fitting for any of my actual favourite pairings; this one sprang to mind in context of the sequel to the Arsonist which I am currently writing.
> 
> Of course, this drabble can easily be read separately and is not needed to form any part of the plot for the other works in the series. It wasn't part of the original story plan and you dont need to have read Another Path to read this. It stands alone but can be read together with them.
> 
> Also of course, Near and Mello are not the sort to turn into squealing fans over something; well, Near isn't at least. Hence, this is more angsty than I think AO3 intended when they set this challenge!

At only eleven years of age, Mello already had a mortal enemy.

Being raised at Wammy’s house, the orphanage for genius children from all over the world, he should hardly have been surprised that such a thing should occur.

He was the black sheep of Wammy's. The one everyone agreed shouldn’t be there. True, he was a genius, but his impulsivity and brash nature made him stick out from the others like a sore thumb.

His mortal enemy… Near, a year younger than him but more intelligent than him despite being infinitely more childish. Near was the Golden Boy, the number one at Wammy’s house. He was the most intelligent – marginally, as Mello would point out, and only if judged on test scores. On paper Near was superior, but his social skills left a lot to be desired.

All children at Wammy’s house had the same ultimate goal; to inherit the title of L, the world’s greatest detective.

Near was currently first in the running due to his scores, but Mello was the backup. It should have been a comfortable position, to not always have to prove himself, but Mello had quite a temper and really, he didn’t like being second at anything.

Another quality engrained by Wammy’s house; the desire to win.

It had not always been this way. Oh, they had known early on that only one would be able to inherit the title of the world’s greatest detective someday, but until Near’s tenth birthday the conclusion seemed so certain. Mello was the oldest; of all the children at Wammy’s house he had scored the highest on his test on his tenth birthday; he had been number one.

But then it had been Near’s birthday. Near, his friend, who had calmed the rage that blazed in Mello’s heart and took prominence over his head. Near, whose emotionless nature was Mello’s perfect counterbalance.

But then Near had scored higher than Mello on the test, and his future became uncertain. The rug was pulled out from underneath his feet, and Mello’s rage had turned on Near.

Mello hated Near now more than anything; one day, he would have to find a way to get rid of the younger boy. He had already tried a few times, setting traps for Near with explosives and lethal weaponry that should have been more than enough to kill any normal person. But, not Near. Near was too intelligent to fall for that – and, if Mello were to be honest with himself, he had made the traps easy to spot and disarm for someone with Near’s skills. He could have done better, but if he were being honest with himself he could admit that he didn’t actually want Near dead; didn’t hate him as much as he wanted to.

Near still angered him intensely.

However, living in such proximity to the others at the orphanage left him in the frequent and awkward position of sharing his living space with Near. One day he was determined he would prove himself far superior to the academically gifted but socially inept child; until then, he had to co-exist with the boy somehow.

They found their lasting common ground in their background entertainment.

Like everyone at Wammy’s house, both were capable of multi-tasking on dozens of things at any given time, but preferred usually to focus their attention; it was simply more efficient that way. When they needed to share a space, however, such as the living room that day, Near and Mello would set aside their differences as much as they could and watch a children’s film.

Disney was, ultimately, their favourite. There were so many complex meanings they could express in their film choice, like Near’s no doubt today.

Near had chosen The Fox and the Hound; Mello knew it was one of the pale young boy’s favourites, but he had not seen it himself. He lounged in the chair, biting at his chocolate bar and reading a top-secret memorandum about the most recent advances in military intelligence technologies, whilst simultaneously regarding the puppy and the fox playing on screen.

The analogy was not lost on him, as Near crouched before the screen in his unnatural way, his legs bent up to his chest and his back bent; perched on his feet. The boy was completing a white Rubik’s cube, one that had sides that were each white with one black L on each square; located in a different position within the square to indicate which face of the cube it should lie upon.

The fox was the outcast; the black sheep. The one who did not fit in, the one who was out of place. A wild animal, domesticated but chaotic. A metaphor for Mello.

The hound was a childish thing, not understanding the niceties of the world in which he was growing up. He didn’t seem to understand that the fox was meant to be its enemy, and tried to play with it anyway, even when warned off by his seniors. An analogy for Near.

It was a sweet little story.

But then, as everyone did, they grew up; the two grew apart, and everything changed.

The fox was still the black sheep, still the outcast. But the hound knew it now; the hound hunted him, reluctant at first but then fiercely.

As Mello watched, he saw the fox continue to try to be friends with the hound, and wondered if he had it the wrong way around – the fox was the outcast, true, but he was also continuing to try to be friends with the hound.

Near, his mortal enemy, had never tried to treat him as an enemy at all. His every action irritated Mello, now, but Near still tried to treat him like a friend. Mello considered it the ultimate insult, that the one who would defeat him would pretend that it was nothing. Would pretend that they could still continue to be friends.

However, the film _was_ a Disney film, and it ended happily; the hunter and his hunting dog wounded, the dog and the fox free to be friends.

Life was not so simple.

Mello studied Near’s back as the film finished, wondering what he could take from Near’s message that day.

The fox and the hound had been the best of friends, but had become mortal enemies. True, they had come together at the end – but this was not a Disney film. This was reality.

Near and he; their friendship was over. Things were, indeed, worse than if it had never existed; Near’s unexpected challenge to his role in life felt like a betrayal rather than a simple rivalry.

And perhaps, with this film, Near was saying that he hoped they would one day be friends again?

But no.

Cold, focused Near was not so emotional as to do something like that.

This was simpler; a statement.

_We were friends once, Mello, but not anymore. Do not expect me to be so kind to you as the Hound was to the Fox._

_You do not belong here._

_You will never be the next L._

_I am the one who will be victorious._

_You are beneath me._

Mello straightened in his chair, watching as the end credits faded to black and waiting for Near to change the film; it was his day to choose, after all.

Near didn’t move for a while, as if waiting for… something.

“We were the best of friends, Mello,” Near murmured, so quietly that Mello almost couldn’t hear him. Mello waited for him to go on, but he did not finish his thought aloud.

“Not anymore,” Mello snarled back fiercely, stomping on the white Rubik’s cube as he jumped to his feet and stormed from the room, shattering it into a million pieces.

Near did not look up to watch him leave; did not react to the white noise now coming from the television set.

Near let go of the last of the feeling he had held in his cold, emotion-shy heart. He let go of his care for Mello.

It hurt to maintain such a useless and illogical thing as friendship, especially when there was so little chance of Mello ever accepting it again.

Near had always been a creature of mind over matter; that day had only finally cemented this as fact.

Near cared for no one and nothing but the win, especially now.

Near would be L, one day. The world’s greatest detective.

Without his only friend in the world, it was the only thing he had left that mattered. And he would go to any lengths to achieve his victory.


End file.
